Category: Marketing

Braselton Logistics Center, one of the largest distribution centers currently under construction in metro Atlanta, is getting closer to completion.

As we mentioned on Twitter and Facebook earlier this week, the Ackerman & Co. project has achieved a new milestone, with construction now nearly complete on the 980,000 SF warehouse portion of the building. Ackerman arranged a special lunch to mark the construction milestone and thank crews for their hard work.

Jim Eyre, the project manager overseeing the huge development for Ackerman, said construction workers enjoyed the Mexican lunch buffet that was set up for them in the Braselton warehouse space.

“Good food goes a long way to show appreciation,” Jim said. “It’s not often that they get a chance to sit down for a few minutes like that during the day.”

Construction has moved smoothly on the state-of-the-art facility, with only a few hiccups due to an unusually rainy stretch in the early summer.

“Fortunately, weather hasn’t been a big factor,” Jim said.

The majority of the construction work going forward will involve the customized build-out of tenant Uline’s two-story office space, which will be completed in time for the company’s scheduled 1Q 2018 move-in.

The 1,000,812 SF facility, featuring 40-foot clear heights, will serve as Uline’s Southeast U.S. logistics hub. The distributor of shipping, packaging and industrial supplies will consolidate two area distribution operations in Duluth and Buford into the facility, which also provides additional space for future growth.

Atlanta attracted an impressive 52 million visitors in 2016. Many of them headed downtown to one or more of the city’s elite attractions – the Georgia Aquarium, Center for Civil and Human Rights, the College Football Hall of Fame, the Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Site, the World of Coca-Cola, the CNN Center.

The stadium is already receiving accolades for its innovative design and amenities. While Mercedes-Benz Stadium will no doubt wow sports fans with one-of-a-kind features such as the world’s largest 360-degree halo video screen, even more important for Atlanta is the impact this huge project will have on the local economy.

“The opening of Mercedes-Benz Stadium is a very exciting moment for the city of Atlanta. It will raise Atlanta’s image by bringing more high-profile events to the city, and these events will be great for the city’s economy, generating income for area hotels, restaurants and shops,” said Kris Miller, President of Ackerman & Co. “The new stadium also complements the other major venues near the stadium, like the Georgia World Congress Center, which hosts one million-plus visitors each year.”

In addition to these economic benefits, major commercial real estate projects are in the works near the stadium: GWCC has proposed building an 800-room hotel on the former site of the Georgia Dome (which will be demolished this fall) and a 220-room Hard Rock Hotel is expected to open before Atlanta hosts the 2019 Super Bowl.

So, to be sure – Atlanta has plenty to be excited about as it gears up for the upcoming games at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

Ackerman & Co. recently completed a five-year, 5,136-square-foot lease with Godavari, a national restaurant chain specializing in South Indian cuisine, at Windward Promenade in Alpharetta, Ga. Godavari is the first Georgia location for the restaurant chain, which currently has 14 restaurants across the U.S.

Troy Morris, brokerage associate at Ackerman & Co., assisted Godavari in selecting Windward Promenade as the site for its initial metro Atlanta restaurant and represented the franchise in the lease transaction. Sam Krueger of Riverwood Properties LLC represented the landlord (Riverwood Properties).

“This is an excellent, high-visibility location for Godavari’s first restaurant in metro Atlanta,” said Morris. “The restaurant will benefit from its proximity to numerous office buildings and retailers, and will also attract customers from the affluent residential neighborhoods in and around Alpharetta, which includes a heavy Indian population.”

Ackerman & Co. has arranged the sale of a 3.40 acre, 13-parcel land assemblage along the northeastern corner of Gay Street and East Glenn Avenue in Downtown Auburn, within walking distance of area landmarks including the Auburn University Campus.

The assemblage, targeted for a six-story, 683-bedroom residential project dubbed The Standard at Auburn, was acquired by Landmark Properties, a real estate development and management firm of high-quality student housing communities. The property is expected to include 16,000 square feet of retail space at its base and offer state-of-the-art amenities including rooftop infinity pool. Ackerman & Co. Senior Vice Presidents Steve Langford and Sean W. Patrick were the exclusive agents for the sellers and acted as the intermediaries in the transaction.

“Given the high barriers of entry, it was a rare opportunity to acquire these parcels and in such close proximity to Auburn University,” said Langford.

Such an endeavor did not come without challenges. The Ackerman & Co. team spent nearly two and a half years assembling the mix of 13 contiguous and non-contiguous land parcels, owned by 10 different families, some of whom lived out of state.

Ackerman & Co. has announced the recent acquisition of a three-building industrial portfolio in the Westgate Business Park in Atlanta, Ga. The three buildings (5215, 5245 and 5260 Westgate Drive) were purchased in an off-market deal from Clarion Partners, LLC for $7.55 million.

The three well-located, front-load, shallow-bay industrial buildings total 274,791 square feet and are fully occupied. Ackerman & Co.’s in-house team will provide leasing and management services for the new acquisition. The deal was facilitated by Cushman and Wakefield’s Stewart Calhoun and Casey Masters. The all-equity transaction was sourced through a new partnership with a leading European private equity group.

“The I-20W/Fulton Industrial Submarket continues to be a top performer with low vacancy and steady quarter-over-quarter average rental rate growth,” said Kris Miller, President of Ackerman & Co. “We are very excited about this opportunity to purchase highly functional industrial properties in a key submarket,” he added.

We’re kicking off 2017 by speaking with our Broker of the Year, John Speros. John has been with Ackerman & Co. for eight years and is one of the premier land brokers in the Metro Atlanta area. We caught up with John between deals for some insight into the mind of one of our senior brokers.

A.) Congrats on being named Ackerman’s Broker of the Year for 2016. Can you tell me how you got to that point and what your goals were at the beginning of 2016 and how you achieved them?

The real answer is simple: I produced more revenue than any other broker at Ackerman. I don’t start off the year hoping to be Broker of the Year. I just focus on helping the client meet their objectives and if you do that the commission seem to follow.

B.) What brought you to Ackerman & Co. and how long have you been here?

I joined Ackerman & Co almost eight years ago when Larry Wood, Sean Patrick, Kyle Gable and I left another firm. We all felt that Ackerman provided a unique platform for our business.

C.) Can you tell us a little about what you do at Ackerman & Co.?

My focus is selling raw land for commercial and residential development.

D.) What is the best part of working at Ackerman & Co.?

Ackerman & Co. gives me ALL of the support that I need to be successful including administrative, marketing, research and other support services.

E.) What’s something that surprises people about you?

For some reason, people see me as really intense. I have had several people say that they were warned about how difficult I would be to work with only to discover that I am pretty easy going.

F.) What is the most exciting thing about commercial real estate to you?

It all or nothing. I learn something new in every transaction. It’s like Vegas with better odds.

G.) What is the most rewarding part of your job?

I enjoy helping my clients achieve their objectives. The commissions are anticlimactic, to me.

H.) What advice do you have for someone trying to break into your field?

Get lean on all expenses, be prepared to go for two years without an income and find someone to mentor you.

J.) If you could have lunch with a U.S. president or someone famous, who would it be and why?

That’s tough to narrow down. There are so many people that I would love to talk with for an hour. I would have to put Ronald Reagan near the top of that list.

K.) Do you have a bucket list? What’s one thing on your bucket list that you can share with us?

At 60, I have completed most of the “physical” bucket list items. However, I would like to step foot on every continent.

L.) Who has been the most important person in your life?

My father. He taught me a great work ethic and emphasized getting my education. He could also “fix” just about anything and “fixing” things take a logical thought process that I use every day in brokerage.

Internships are opportunities to journey into the unknown. They allow you to gain experience in a real work environment aligned with your chosen field of study. The beautiful part – it’s not permanent. If you don’t like it, you can try something different. And hey, at least you learned valuable skills that can open the door for other possibilities.

This year, Ackerman welcomed three bright and ambitious interns – Jack Pelt, John Horton, II and Graham Officer. The young men were placed in departments most related to their professional goals. By all accounts, the guys have adapted well and kudos are being offered all around. “I’m proud of our intern team,” said F. Keene Miller, President of the Brokerage. “These young men have shown an impressive work ethic and have been valuable members of our team this summer,” he added.

Jack, a native of Georgia, is a junior at the University of Alabama. He currently is working with the investment group learning how deals are structured and implemented. The accounting major is thrilled to be learning about the investment aspect of commercial real estate. “I want to put myself out there and grow as much as possible during my time at Ackerman,” said Jack. “I believe this opportunity has given me more insight into my career path.”

Currently enrolled at North Dakota State University, John is an upcoming sophomore. He is assisting the marketing team, learning the day-to-day business operations. “I’m ecstatic for the opportunity to be a part of this summer internship. I believe this experience will help me develop both personally and professionally,” said John. The track athlete is no stranger to hard work having earned the Most Improved award for his high school track and field team two years in a row.

Graham is a senior at Jacksonville State University pursuing a degree in finance. He joined the internship team at Ackerman because he’s considering becoming a broker. A few weeks into his internship, Graham realized just how much he was up against. “I thought being a full-time student and baseball athlete was tough,” he said. “But brokerage can be pretty demanding,” he added. Graham is grateful for the opportunity to work with some of Atlanta’s top brokers. He especially enjoys the satisfaction of meeting client needs and closing deals.

As summer comes to a close, Ackerman would like to thank Jack, John and Graham for their dedication and eagerness to learn. We hope that this experience will have an everlasting impact on their lives and help steer them in the right career choice. We would welcome the opportunity to work with them again, this time as members of the Ackerman family.

The biggest decision I made after college was investing in a home. As a millennial, it was important to purchase a home in a thriving community with active residents who support local products and businesses.

One of the most popular locally made products among millennials is craft alcohol. Craft breweries and distilleries are highly sought after and are often regarded as gathering halls to meet friends and sample the latest blend.

Recently, Georgia’s Department of Revenue issued new regulations which allow breweries to sell facility tours at different price points based on the quality and quantity customers receive as “free souvenirs.” Allowing consumers to purchase alcohol brings new potential for increased revenue and brand recognition, which is a major game changer for the industry.

In the last 20 years, Georgia’s craft alcohol market has grown by 800 percent according to the National Beer Wholesalers Association. And the growth continues with 20 new breweries and distilleries expected to open in 2016. Everyone is jumping on the bandwagon to stay competitive. Established distilleries—such as Old Fourth Distillery, the first of its kind to open in Atlanta since Prohibition— are expanding to larger facilities, increasing the amount of liquor they can produce and sell.

All in all, it seems millennials won’t have any problem getting their hands on local craft alcohol; it might be just as easy as going to the farmer’s market.

Millennials are set to take over as the largest living generation, surpassing Baby Boomers this year. What does this mean to you? Well, if you own a business and would like to attract and retain young talent, here are a few things you should consider:

Two-thirds are in management level positions; this is projected to increase by two-thirds in 10 years

Millennials are more technologically agile, creative, open to change and adaptable than the previous generation

How can you find and retain millennial talent? One way is through cause marketing. Millennials feel responsible for making a positive impact on the future and are demanding that the companies they work for and patronize support causes as well.

Click here to learn more about how you can reach millennials with cause marketing.

About Ackerman & Co.

Ackerman & Co. is one of the top commercial real estate companies in the Southeast with more than 35 million square feet of office, medical, retail and mixed-used space developed, nearly 8 million square feet more under management, an investment portfolio valued at more than $1 billion and a widespread presence that leverages the experience of more than 100 real estate professionals.